Take It Like A Woman
by Chloe Delfine
Summary: Abuse comes in many forms - emotional, verbal and physical. Will the instinct for survival prevail or will she choose to observe her wedding vows at the risk of her own life? Haven't decided if it's going to be a one-shot or a series. Please help? RKO/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**Take It Like A Woman**

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**Disclaimer: Alice Cooper recorded 'Take It Like A Woman'. I don't own anything or anybody except Andrea. I haven't decided if this is going to be a one-shot or a series. Please let me know? Thank you and please enjoy!**

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Andrea flinched as she lightly ran her fingers over her shoulder. She sighed in defeated resignation as the now-familiar pain shot through her arm as she gently rubbed the darkening bruise.

She gently explored the tender spot with her fingertips, tears filling her eys; not at the pain, although there was a lot more of that than was comfortable, but at the memory of where she had obtained the injury.

And all the others.

_I bet ya never thought  
That it would never turn out like this  
Mama's little girl  
Daddy's little princess_

Like the rest of her life, her wedding had been perfect – beautiful, carefully coordinated and well, just perfect. Andrea had looked the classic, tranquil bride; radiantly in love with her tall, strapping groom.

There wasn't a dry eye in the house when they exchanged their wedding vows. Everyone predicted a lifetime of happiness, bliss and a gaggle of little ones running around within the near future.

Sure, for the first year or so, it had been a honeymoon period for the couple – happy strolls, lovey-dovey evenings, home-cooked meals and night after night of steamy sex that left them both breathless, satiated and exhausted.

And suddenly, all that changed. Andrea didn't know if it was work pressure that had gotten to him or if it was just an inherent personality flaw; but, the man that she had fallen in love with and committed her life to was slowly but surely morphing into someone whom she could barely recognize.

As far back as she could remember, people had always cautioned her that Randy had a rougher side than that which he showed her. That he could be crude. That he could be cruel. That he could be violent. But, in the seven years that they had been together, he had never shown that side of himself to her, not once. He had always been very tender, very loving, very much a gentleman. She pinned it down to his being misunderstood, that he was just a lot more passionate and intense than people were used to.

Then, she started feeling it for herself. He started becoming a lot more quick-tempered. His choice of words started becoming harsher. The soft, tender words were becoming few and far between. Instead, they were being replaced with mean, cutting terms; terms that you wouldn't normally use on someone that you love.

_But somewhere in your fairy tale  
Everything went wrong  
_

And then, it got progressively worse.

Randy's sexual appetite, ravenous being an understatement, became even more so, if that was even possible. His tastes, already borderline experimental, grew even more perverse. His mild S&M fetish grew – the light taps became more stinging, the ropes tighter, the desire for her to dress-up more frequent. He seemed to crave sex at every possible opportunity – every night was a given, possibly every morning as well and blowjobs in the car while he drove became a mandatory norm.

She had timidly raised it once that she felt that it was going a bit overboard. The resultant was not pleasant. Randy became very angry, shouting at her that it was normal and that a wife should submissively service her husband, instead of trying to make him feel bad for wanting something that already belonged to him. He continued to berate her, reminding her that he was the only man that she had ever slept with and thus, she had no benchmark for comparison for what was normal and what was not.

That night, silent tears rolled down Andrea's cheeks she felt her head jerk back as Randy pulled her hair hard while thrusting into her relentlessly from behind. But, she never raised a word against him for that again.

_Now the sun don't shine  
__The words don't rhyme  
You're out of time_

She could vividly remember the first time Randy raised his hand against her. There had been hundreds, if not thousands of other blows, rained on her since – but she never forgot the first.

It hadn't been over something major. Objectively speaking, it hadn't even been her fault.

Randy had told Andrea that he would be home around 6.30pm, after filming an interview and a segment on ESPN. At 6.25pm, Andrea had made sure that she had a warm bath running for him, his clothes neatly laid out on the bed and a warm dinner roasting in the oven waiting for him.

At 7pm, he still wasn't home, still hadn't called. Andrea pinned it down to the interview running into overtime. So, she waited.

At 8pm, he still wasn't home, still hadn't called. Andrea continued to wait.

At 9pm, he still wasn't home, still hadn't called. Andrea tried unsuccessfully to reach him on his mobile. She continued to wait.

At 10pm, he still wasn't home, still hadn't called. Again, Andrea tried to call him but the call didn't connect. She continued to wait.

At 11pm, he still wasn't home, still hadn't called. Andrea tried to call him yet again but was yet again, unsuccessful. With a sigh, she turned off the bath-water, put his clothes back into the closet and put the roast chicken into the fridge.

She sat on the couch, the TV was on but she saw nothing, lost in her thoughts. She heard the rustling of keys at the front door and jumped up to open it. Randy stumbled in, smelling of a combination of cigarette smoke and alcohol and looking a little worse for the wear.

His eyes darted to the dining table, saw no food on it and flew into a lethal rage. Andrea never saw it coming. Next thing she knew, Randy's hand connected hard with the side of her face. Andrea was stunned silent for a moment, before bursting into tears. Her sobs seemed to enrage Randy further and a torrent of blows landed themselves on her face, her shoulders, her arms. Andrea used her arms to shelter herself from the blows. Randy grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her onto the couch. She lay there, curled up in a fetal position, sobbing silently.

Randy stared imperviously at her before heading upstairs to take a bath.

Two hours later, when Andrea's sobs had finally subsided and she had calmed down sufficiently, she warily made her way up the stairs and climbed wordlessly into bed, next to the man who had just showered her with pain.

She found him awake. Randy reached out for her and she froze in fear. Instead of his previous anger-driven fury, however, he pulled her tenderly against his chest and gently stroked the back of her head, kissing her forehead and her temple lovingly.

He whispered sweet words into her ear, apologizing for his earlier conduct and promising never to do it again.

Andrea put the incident at the back of her mind, thinking that it was a one-off thing. She snuggled up close against her husband, listening to his heartbeat and feeling the warmth of his body against hers. She fell asleep, comforted and assured that the Randy she fell in love with and had been with for so many years had returned.

_You've been beaten down  
Kicked around on the ground  
But you took it like a woman  
Victimized, terrorized, paralyzed  
But you took it like a woman_

But, as time went on, the abuse, physical and emotional, continued for the smallest of reasons. Randy was becoming more and more violent until it had come to the point where Andrea was actually scared for her own safety.

Yet, she still stayed. She stayed out of a certain sense of loyalty and because she was convinced that Randy still loved her, despite all the things that he did to her.

Randy was smart. He never hit her where anyone could see. He knew that the group of wrestlers' wives were close and he didn't want to bring more trouble upon himself than need be. He knew that he had sufficient control over Andrea such that she wouldn't tell anyone about how he hit her; but, he had to make sure that no one else knew about it either.

_Pushed too far pulled too hard  
Deeply scarred  
I know you must have felt the pain  
But you took it like a woman_

Andrea lay in bed, watching Randy sleep. His arm was strewn across her waist. He looked so peaceful, so calm that it was hard to reconcile the man in bed with her with the same one who had hit her earlier in the day.

As Randy expected, Andrea hadn't told anyone about the beatings. She chose to internalize the pain, questioning herself, asking what it was that she did wrong or that she could have done better.

Randy had been her first boyfriend. The first man she had kissed. The first man that she had made love to. She didn't know what other relationships were like but she was sure they didn't involve this much physical or emotional pain.

_Ya thought you had your Mr. Right  
But he was really Mr. Hyde  
Ya gave him your most precious gift  
You were his bleeding bride_

It seemed as though Randy had a split personality. He could be the cold, emotionless monster driven only by rage that would scream at her, call her unmentionable names, force her into having sex so rough that it would leave her limping from the internal abrasions and hit her as though she were nothing more than his punching bag.

_He tied you up pulled your hair  
He slapped your innocent face  
Yeah, you were black and blue  
He laughed at you  
So what'd you do?_

On the other hand, there were times when he was still the Randy of old – the wonderful, tender, loving man who would stroke her hair, massage her shoulders and legs, talk and laugh over a home-cooked meal with and make sweet, gentle and considerate love to.

_Aw you've been beaten down  
Kicked around on the ground  
But you took it like a woman  
Victimized, terrorized, paralyzed  
But you took it like a woman  
Pushed too far pulled too hard  
Deeply scarred  
I know you must have felt the pain  
But you took it like a woman  
_

Could Andrea bring herself to leave him? He was her Randy. Her husband. The love of her life. Her soulmate. That's what he was, wasn't he?

It was supposed to be a dream come true – growing up in a life of privilege, marrying a successful and good-looking young athlete, living together, having children together, growing old together. That's what it was supposed to be.

Supposed.

_And so its over  
Your fantasy life is finally at an end  
And the world above is still a brutal place  
And the story will start again_

The screams. The pain. The tears. The blood. It was a never-ending cycle. She never knew when it was going to start. She never knew if it would end.

_You been beaten down  
Kicked around on the ground  
But you took it like a woman  
Victimized, terrorized, paralyzed  
But you took it like a woman_

Andrea lived every second of her life in fear. But, she continued to live with Randy, to sleep with him every night. Misguided loyalty or true commitment to her wedding vows? She herself didn't know.

_Pushed too far pulled too hard  
Deeply scarred  
I know you must have felt the pain  
Felt the pain_

Just then, Randy rolled over in his sleep and nuzzled against Andrea's neck, throwing his arm around her small waist.

"I love you, Andie baby," he mumbled in his sleep.

Andrea sighed, closing her eyes and feeling the welcome blanket of sleep begin to wash over her. It was the only time she felt no fear, no pain, no sorrow, no worry. It was the only time she didn't berate herself for staying on in the marriage.

She knew.

She knew despite all that had happened, she couldn't leave Randy.

She just couldn't.

For better or for worse.

She couldn't.

_I know you must have felt the pain  
But you took it like a woman  
You took it like a woman  
I know you must have felt the pain  
You took it like a woman  
I know you must have felt the pain  
You took it like a woman  
I know you must have felt the pain  
You took it like a woman_


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm sorry for the long delay between the chapters. Was trying to decide between leaving it as a one-shot or continuing it. This would seem very abrupt but just take it that it's a few months down the road and that nothing much has changed since. Advice on how to craft the next chapter (as in what should happen) would be most welcome!! Thank you!! **

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Andrea awakened, confused by her unfamiliar surroundings. She opened her eyes, half-awake, groping for the sheets to cover her naked body.

She felt warm breath against her neck and turned, slightly bewildered, slightly afraid of what she might see. Her body didn't hurt, she hadn't been awakened with the demand for sex. She was thoroughly uncertain of what was going on.

Slowly, Andrea turned around. When she caught sight of the still slumbering figure next to her, she covered her mouth, preventing a scream from emerging. Fuzzy details from the night before started emerging...

How could this have happened? How could she have let herself get into such a situation? Randy was going to be so mad. The thought of going home to face her husband chilled her to the bone.

Andrea turned to look at the man who had comforted her the night before. Half-naked under the quilt, he looked stunning even in slumber. Andrea placed her hand on his chest, intending to go back to sleep, hoping that she would wake up in her own bed with her hand on her husband's chest, finding that this was all a (sweet) dream.

As she was about to lie down, he caught her wrist in his strong grasp. "Morning beautiful," he whispered, his voice still raspy. "How was it? Are you feeling better now?"

Andrea turned away, her inner conflict churning. "You were... amazing, Hunter."

"I didn't know you were so fragile, Andie," he whispered, still running his fingers up and down her bare back. "Last night was mind-blowing."

He pulled her closer to him, nibbling on her neck and shoulder. As he fed on her, full of lust and passion, Andrea felt her mind drain of reason. She felt his weight crushing her, as he moved on top of her for the fourth time in as many hours.

Suddenly, a bolt of panic, guilt and absolute fear stunned her. Andrea loved Randy, she did. But, she was truly fearful for her safety and if it was down to the wire, she couldn't be absolutely certain that Randy's rage wouldn't kill her. But, she did love him. Yet, if she loved him, how could she have let this chain of events happen? And, why was something so wrong feeling so good? The turmoil overpowered her senses as she recalled the previous evening that had led to this...

/ flashback /

Randy and Andrea had turned up, dressed to the nines, at the annual dinner reception hosted by the network, honouring the company's contribution towards sports entertainment. Randy looked suave, in a black striped suit and an open-necked white shirt. Truth be told, Andrea felt her heart skip a beat as she laid eyes on the man she married. Andrea was dressed in a classy, short black number, her long brown hair left tumbling down to her waist. Randy looked at her and nodded, taking her hand before walking into the reception with her.

The first half of the evening had gone well. Randy was in a good mood and was laughing and chatting with some of the network executives. Andrea played the doting, trophy wife, looking at him adoringly, her hand on his chest. She laughed at his jokes, deferred demurely when asked for her opinion. His asking her to get him another drink was the point that the evening started to spiral downwards.

He chose to show who definitely wore the pants in the relationship by instructing her to get him a drink and giving her a harder than necessary tap on her behind. She flinched but didn't say a word. Andrea brought the drink back to Randy and passed it to him, silently.

She couldn't remember exactly what it was that she said that set him off. All Andrea could remember was Randy yelling at her, grabbing her by the wrists and dragging her off to the side of the hall. She remembered her face burning in humiliation, knowing that everybody's eyes were on them. She begged Randy not to raise his voice at her. She pleaded with him to calm down. He ignored her entirely and continued his tirade. Andrea's eyes were firmly fixed to the ground, willing herself not to cry.

And, as much as she had grown to anticipate the blows that would often rain down on her, Andrea was shocked when Randy roughly grabbed her face. It was the first time that he had ever laid hands on her in public. The tears of shame burned in her eyes. Andrea pushed Randy, turned on her heel and ran. Andrea ran, even though she knew that she would get hell from Randy when she got home.

Andrea ran out and collapsed on the steps outside the building. She buried her face in her arms and burst into tears. The pain, the fear, the humiliation washed over her as she cried.

"Hey, princess, what's going on? You okay?" She jumped as she heard that. She turned to see Hunter sitting there, looking at her concernedly.

She tried to stifle her sobs, smiling wanly at him. "I'll be fine."

"You wanna talk about it?"

Andrea shook her head. "I'll be okay."

Hunter motioned for her to face him. She obliged. He looked her straight in the eye. "I saw what happened."

Andrea, once again, felt the wave of humiliation and embarrassment sweep over her. "Th... That was nothing. It was my fault. I..."

"No matter whose fault it is, it's never acceptable for a guy to lay hands on a girl," Hunter interrupted her, his tone serious.

They sat there in silence. Andrea musing over what Hunter had said. Hunter trying to think of the right words that would bring comfort and strength to Andrea.

Hunter studied Andrea's countenance. She had definitely been through alot. He berated himself for not noticing it earlier. The playful sparkle in her eyes had been replaced by world-weariness. The ready smile that could brighten up a room hadn't been seen for a long time. Her warm and personable character was now tinged with anxiety, trepidation and distrust.

Andrea turned to Hunter, breaking the silence. "Am I that bad a person, Hunter? Am I incapable of doing anything right?"

Hunter heaved a sigh. "You're a wonderful person, Andie. You always have been. Don't let Randy convince you otherwise. If he can't see how great you are, he doesn't deserve you. And, I say this with all my heart."

Andrea smiled a small, sad smile at him. "Thanks, Hunter." She reached out and hugged Hunter, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Hunter reciprocated, holding her close to him. He gently stroked her hair, willing her to have the strength to see through this difficult period. They sat there in companionable silence.

After some time, Andrea started to pull away, causing Hunter's hand to brush past her face instead. They looked at each other, slightly stunned, a little magnetized. Hunter leaned forward and his lips met Andrea's. To his surprise, and her own, she didn't pull away; instead, she responded to the kiss. It started out sweet, tender. Then, as the kiss wore on, it grew more passionate, their tongues wrestling for control.

Hunter stroked her bare thigh, Andrea's hands ran across his torso. Andrea moaned as Hunter's lips trailed down her neck, towards her clavicle. Suddenly however, Hunter stopped and pulled away. The spell broken, Andrea looked up, still in a bit of a daze. Hunter's eyes were clouded with lust and desire.

"Andrea, either we stop this now or we go back to my place. Your choice," he rasped.

Andrea closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Your place. Let's go."

Hunter didn't wait another second or ask for another affirmation. He helped her to her feet and quickly flagged a cab. In the cab, they continued mauling each other with kisses, their hands running everywhere.

They entered Hunter's upmarket apartment, never once breaking physical contact. Hunter pushed Andrea against the wall, never stopping his assault of kisses, his right hand supporting her head, his left hand squeezing her breasts. "God, you're so hot," he murmured, the passion evident in his voice.

Andrea whimpered softly, Hunter's continuous slew of kisses bringing her lust to fever-pitch. Somehow, they found their way to the bedroom. Hunter removed his shirt and sat on the bed. Andrea stood in front of him.

"Take your clothes off," he said. "Or do you want me to help you?"

Andrea's heart raced within her chest. She felt Hunter's hands on her waist. A dash of hesitation crossed her mind. What was she doing? What were they doing?

"If you're not comfortable, we can stop this, Andie," Hunter said, noting her hesitation. "Is this what you want?" He unzipped the top of her dress. Pulling the bodice down to her waist, Hunter made her face him. "Is this what you want?"

Andrea raised the question to herself. Is this really what she wanted? For a second, she wanted to say no. But, as she shifted her glance and gazed at his eyes, she pushed that thought out of her mind.

She felt his hands slipping her dress off her body and unclasping her bra. "Yes, it is..." she whispered, letting him roll her g-string off her hips.

Hunter pulled her onto his lap again, spreading her legs. She wrapped them tightly around his body as she felt his lips travel down her chest. She could feel his erection straining through his pants. Hunter suddenly flipped her around, coming to rest on top of her.

His strong arms pinned her down on the bed, savouring her body. She ran her hands through his hair, throwing her head back as he suckled her bosom hungrily. She moaned as she felt his tongue trail down her abdomen. Her hips bucked upwards as his tongue suddenly plunged into her. Hunter held her hips steady as he lapped away. Just as she was about to climax, Hunter pulled away. He divested himself of his pants, standing in full glory before her.

Andrea whimpered pitifully. Her whimper turned into a gasp of pain and pleasure as Hunter slipped two fingers into her. She grabbed hold of his arm, as waves of pleasure overtook her. "You're so tight, princess. I'm going to have to take my time with you."

"No..." Andrea murmured. "Just fuck me."

Hunter smiled, a small laugh exiting him. "I will, princess. But, slowly. I don't want to hurt you."

"No, fuck me now. Fuck me hard, we can do slow later. Please... Please..." Andrea gasped, her lust driving her to the edge.

Without a second word, Hunter obliged. He slammed hard into her, eliciting a scream from her. Hunter wasn't sure if it was from pure pleasure or pain. He looked down into her eyes, concerned. She smiled at him, wincing slightly, trying to get used to his size. She stroked his face tenderly. "Go on, I'm fine."

He didn't say another word, driving into her over and over, hard. Hunter repositioned her legs over his shoulders, allowing him deeper access. He continued to plunge deep into her, not relenting on the pace.

Andrea locked her lips on his, letting his tongue slip inside her mouth. She kept up the pressure, his moans now louder testament to his pleasure.

Andrea felt him drive into her again, this time faster and more intense. Her entire body ached and screamed, fatigued by the force of the bliss it was being subjected to. Suddenly, she was hit by a white wall of pure pleasure. Andrea could vaguely hear herself calling out Hunter's name as she came.

Hunter drove into her a few more times before he too climaxed, filling her with his seed.

Hunter came to rest, still on top of Andrea. He gently and tenderly kissed her, holding her close to him. "Andrea... You're perfect. And, you're mine."

"Hunter..." Andrea whispered, closing her eyes as she snuggled into his arms.

/ flashback over /

"Stop," Andrea said softly. "Hunter..."

"Mmm?" he murmured as he nuzzled her neck.

"Hunter, stop." Tears trickled down her cheeks. "Stop, please."

Hunter went up. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

Andrea lay on her side, sobbing. Reality bites, and when it did, it hurt. Badly. The complexity of the situation hit Andrea hard. Hunter showered Andrea with kisses and whispered that she was his. But, how could that be when she was Randy's? How could she bear to look at him again? How was she going to face Randy?

He had treated her with such tenderness all through the night, a stark contrast to what she went through daily with Randy. In between making love, they had chatted, laughed, joked – just like how it had been with Randy in the old days, a time long gone since. And, in the short naps that she had taken, she had always woken up, spooning and in his arms.

"What? Why are you crying?" he repeated.

"This is madness, Hunter. I can't even imagine what will happen after this. I slept with you, not minding the fact that it's going to be so awkward after. That I'm married! Randy is going to kill me!"

Andrea felt Hunter lie down beside her and slip an arm around her waist. "When I said you were mine last night? I meant it, Andie. I saw the bruises on your body. I don't know for a fact, but I can guess what Randy's been doing to you. Leave him. I will take you in."

Andrea's tears intensified. "I can't. He's my husband. This shouldn't have happened. None of this."

Hunter pulled Andrea closer to him. "What if I told you I love you, Andie? And, that I have loved you for a very long time?"

Andrea's head was spinning. She sat up. "I'm sorry, Hunter... I have to go. I have to." With her tear burning in her eyes, Andrea threw on her clothes, grabbed her purse and made her way to the door. Not daring to look back, she slammed the door shut and made her way back to the hell she called 'home'.


	3. Chapter 3

**Interim update so that I won't get scolded for updating too slowly!! :) Has Randy changed? Or, is something up?**

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Andrea cautiously keyed in the door code to her house and turned the door-knob. She held her shoes in her hands and tip-toed into the house, hoping not to make any sound that would rouse her husband.

She had made her way almost across the living room, when a low, hollow "Andie" stopped her in her tracks. Andrea felt her hands turn icy-cold and fear and trepidation creep up on her as she turned and looked toward the couch, where her husband's voice had come from. She was literally scared for her life at this point.

"Andie," Randy called again.

The sight that greeted Andrea surprised her. Randy was sitting on the couch, in the same suit that he had worn to the party. He looked a little worse for the wear – his eyes were red and swollen. He reached out for Andrea. "Baby..."

Andrea flinched, almost imperceptibly, her fear physically apparent. Nonetheless, she walked to Randy, trying to stop herself from shivering. She wanted to open her mouth and say something, but she just couldn't. She silently, obediently walked to Randy, letting him take hold of her arm. Randy pulled her onto his lap.

Andrea was shocked when he enveloped her in a tight embrace, burying his face into the nape of her neck. "Don't ever do that again, baby," he pleaded with her, his tears wetting her neck. "Don't ever run away from me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Andrea put her arms around him. She gently stroked the back of his head, unsure of what was happening. "I won't, baby," she murmured to him. "I'm sorry, too."

Randy kissed her neck lightly. "I love you so much, baby. Are you okay? Where did you go?"

A stab of guilt hit Andrea. She leaned back from Randy's hug and looked at him. "I'm okay. I just went to a nearby hotel for the night." She hoped that she sounded convincing enough.

Randy nodded, seemingly convinced. He looked at her, chewing on his lower lip. "Baby, I know I haven't been an easy person to be with," he said remorsefully. "I promise I'll change. I'm just under so much stress at work. I really want a title shot and I've got to do all I can to get it. But, I promise I won't bring all that home anymore. I've been a shit husband, baby, and all that's going to change. I promise."

Andrea felt the stab of guilt hit her again. She felt compelled to confess to Randy the indiscretion that she had partaken in. But, she didn't – despite all his assurances, she wasn't sure that his anger wouldn't kill her. Instead, she gulped it down and nodded at him, smiling a small, uncertain smile.

Randy enveloped her in a hug again, whispering how much he loved her and countless assurances that he would change.

As Andrea remained in his hug, the guilt continued to eat away at her...


	4. Chapter 4

Andrea sighed in despair as she examined her reflection in the mirror. She had done the best that she could. She had put on a loose, long-sleeved shirt with her denim miniskirt, despite the sweltering heat outside. It covered up the nasty bruises on her arms, but despite the layers of concealer and foundation that she had piled on, nothing could hide her split lip and the ghastly purple bruise on her cheek.

She winced slightly, running her fingers lightly over her cheek. Tears filled her eyes – not so much at the physical pain but the emotional. Not once, but twice had Randy reneged on his promise to take care of her and love her. The first time was in the church when they got married. The second was after she had run away from him at the party. Both times, both times he had promised to love and cherish her. Nowhere in his promises did it mention discipline and hit her.

After she had returned home to a wretched Randy, sitting in their living room, he had promised and assured her that all was to change. That he would never revert to being the abusive, short-tempered husband he had become. And, for awhile, it had been the case. For the few months after, things had gone back to the way they had been while they were courting and in the first year of their marriage. Randy had been sweet, caring, loving. He had showered her with love and affection. The daily back massages had returned. Sex was loving and gentle. They resumed their nightly walks and daily chats.

Then, she didn't know why, but things started taking a downward spiral all over again. She couldn't figure if it was because creative had written him out of a title shot or if daily work stress was just getting to him. He slowly but surely started becoming more short-tempered, snapping at her for the slightest thing.

And then... The hitting resumed. The first night he started hitting her again, Andrea couldn't tell if the physical pain or the emotional pain of betrayal hurt more.

Last night had been the worst beating that Andrea had ever received from Randy. In the past, he had taken great care not to hit her in any place that could be seen from the outside – he knew that the wrestlers' wives were close and he didn't want to invite any more trouble than necessary.

But last night, he had foregone even that basic rule.

Last night, Andrea had been really terrified for her life. In an instant, she understood what other people had meant when they said that there were points in a match when Randy would go into 'The Zone' and he would lose control of himself and hit harder than necessary. And, she fully experienced it. Randy had grabbed her off the couch, slapped her a few times, punched her in the stomach, threw her onto the ground and continued a vicious assault of kicking and punching her. He had left her, curled up in a fetal position, unable to move for the pain.

In the past prior to this episode, despite the beatings, Andrea stayed because she wanted to honour her marriage vows, because she was convinced that in spite of all that had happened, Randy did love her and that he was still the same, loving, wonderful man that she had married and given her all to.

Now, she stayed because she was afraid. She was afraid of what he would do if she tried to leave.

And, she was even more afraid of what he would do to her if he found out about her indiscretion. Since that night, she had taken great pains to avoid bumping into Hunter. He had tried to approach her on various occasions, to speak with her, but, she had managed to scoot out of it.

Reminding herself of all this, Andrea forced herself to smile and to look like a happy, pampered, cheery wrestling wife – which she was, if you scratched out the happy, pampered and cheery part. She was on her way to meet Randy at the arena, she couldn't look anything less. Randy wouldn't like it.


	5. Chapter 5

/ At the Arena /

"Andrea!" Evan's attempt at enthusiasm sounded incredibly false to everyone there, and to Andrea herself.

Andrea's wan smile was meant to thank Evan for his effort, but it only served in emphasizing how listless and fearful she had become. As she raised her eyes to look around at the people she now counted as family, she noticed, with some embarrassment, that everyone around her had fallen silent and were scrutinizing her.

Hunter's hands had balled up tightly upon seeing her face and she heard Shawn muttering something about giving Randy a taste of his own medicine. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see some of the others shaking their heads.

Humiliation burning her cheeks, she lowered her head, letting her soft hair hide her face from view. She knew that they could guess where she had gotten these new injuries from. Hunter might have told some of them, but the rest could and would guess.

She stood there, lost and embarrassed, until a gentle hand found its way onto her shoulder. And, she heard a familiar voice saying "Andie, it's been such a long time since we last saw you." Hunter steered her gently away from the centre of the locker room, away from the prying eyes of the rest.

Despite her wanting to evade Hunter, she was grateful for him getting the attention off her. She smiled at Hunter, who had draped his arm around her shoulders and led her toward a nearby bench where they could talk. "Yeah, I've been really busy with... stuff."

"But, you should never be too busy for friends," Hunter replied disapprovingly, trying not to make it too obvious that he was checking out just how bad her injuries were. Since he had found out about things that fateful night, he was getting so sick of seeing Andrea like this. She deserved so much more than what Randy was doing to her. He lowered his voice. "You could come to me, Andie. I told you that night. I meant it. You could come to me. Anytime at all, for any reason."

Andrea drew away from Hunter, realising in an instant what hidden meaning his words implied. She was still racked with guilt about that night and she didn't need to add further complication to her life with Hunter's declaration of his feelings for her. "Thanks, Hunter. Not that I would have any reason to, but thank you."

Hunter slammed his hand onto the locker behind her, causing Andrea to jump. "Cut the bullshit, Andie! I am so sick of seeing you like this. How long are you going to let this go on?"

"Nothing is going on, Hunter! Everything's fine!" Andrea flinched at the fury in his voice.

"You call constantly getting beaten up nothing?" Hunter demanded, incredulously. He cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her face up to get a better look. "Andie, this can't go on."

Andrea laughed shakily, pushing Hunter's hands away. "Really, Hunter. Everything's good, no one's beating me up. I slipped in the shower and hit myself..."

Hunter shook his head. "Something has to give, sooner or later. I'm not stupid, Andrea. Leave him, I will take you in."

Andrea gulped, lowering her head, not daring to meet Hunter's eyes. "There's nothing to worry about, Hunter. Everything will be fine. Once things get easier for Randy, everything will be fine. He's just really stressed right now."

"What if things don't get easier? What if creative refuses to give him a title shot?" Hunter replied tersely. "What if things get even more stressful, which I think it will. What is going to happen to you then?"

Andrea took a deep, shaky breath. "Randy loves me."

Hunter rolled his eyes and snorted. "Well, if abusing you is his way of showing love... Fuck, it doesn't seem to be the case at all! He doesn't love you, Andie. Will you wake up and fucking see that?!"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Andrea had somehow managed to convince herself that it wasn't the case. Having someone have to tell her what was so painfully obvious to everyone else was absolutely shattering. She opened her mouth to protest but all that came out was a strangled little gasp. That was when her tears started to fall and she suddenly found herself encased in Hunter's comforting arms once again.

"I'm sorry," Hunter murmured, trying to keep his own tears at bay as he rubbed Andrea's back soothingly. Just as she had that night, Andrea felt so small, so fragile, so vulnerable in his arms. "Look, I'll help you in any way that I can. We all will. We're all your friends, we hate seeing you getting hurt like this. If you want, you can move in with me. I've plenty of room at my place and..."

"Get your fucking hands off her, Hunter."

With a little gasp, Andrea pushed herself away from Hunter and looked up guiltily at Randy who stood above them, his lips pulled down in a frown. She quickly brushed away her tears and forced a cheerful smile on her face even though she knew that she wouldn't be fooling anybody. The rest of the roster had fallen silent and were watching them. "Randy! I was..."

"Getting too close to Hunter, aren't we, Andie baby?" Randy spat out the last word.

Andrea looked at the ground, too frightened to answer.

"You are not coming here anymore, okay?" Randy's voice reverberated clearly around the silent locker room.

"I thought you liked me to come here and wait for you," Andrea mumbled, wishing desperately that this conversation wasn't being held in front of so many people. She had no doubts that she look incredibly pathetic and that she had absolutely no dignity left.

Randy shrugged as he shouldered his duffel bag. "I changed my mind. I obviously can't trust you to keep your hands to yourself." Noticing that Andrea hadn't gotten to her feet to follow him, Randy added mockingly. "Look, are you coming with me or are you planning to take Hunter up on his offer? Either way is fine with me." He turned on his heel and walked out.

"I was serious, Andie," Hunter interrupted them, willing Andrea to put her foot down and end this abuse once and for all. "I meant it, it's no trouble at all."

"Thanks, Hunter, but I don't think so," Andrea replied without any hesitation as she ran after Randy.

Hunter watched her go helplessly. As soon as the couple was gone, he whirled round and kicked the bench over. "Damn it! Andrea's supposed to be so smart, what the fuck is she thinking?"

Shawn shook his head, resisting the urge to run after Andrea himself. "She's not thinking. Randy's got her too frightened to think."


	6. Chapter 6

"What the hell were you trying to do back there?" Randy hissed at Andrea, coming to a sudden stop a few steps ahead of the locker room. "Are you trying to get me in trouble?"

Andrea averted her eyes as he glared at her. "What did I do wrong, Randy?" her voice was soft and shaky.

"What did I do wrong, Randy?" Randy mimicked sarcastically. He grabbed Andrea's arm in a vice-like grip, causing her to wince pitifully. "You were making a scene and acting like a fucking victim. Right in front of the entire roster! I mean, why the fuck do you have to go and broadcast our relationship problems with everyone in the world, huh?! Why the fuck can't you keep your mouth shut?"

"I'm not!" Andrea protested weakly, cringing again as a sudden stab of pain shot through her arm.

"Then why the hell did Dave Batista come up to me, threatening to kill me if I ever lay a finger on you again? Huh? Can you tell me, Andrea Orton? If you haven't been spreading the news, then how the hell could that bastard have found out?" Randy shook her violently.

"Randy, please, you're hurting me!" Andrea winced, her eyes filling up with tears for the pain.

Taking a deep breath, Randy let go of his wife's shoulders and took a few steps back, running a hand agitatedly through his buzz-cut. Andrea looked at the floor again, not daring to meet Randy's eyes, and rubbed her arm gently, trying to rid herself of the pain.

She didn't notice Randy moving closer to her. His voice was dangerously low. "What was the deal with you and Helmsley back there?"

Andrea's head snapped up. "Wh... What?"

"Why did he have his hands all over you? And, why weren't you stopping it?" Randy moved even closer to her. She could feel his breath on her skin. Andrea turned her head away, fearing that her eyes would betray her past indiscretion.

"I was... upset about something. Hunter was just trying to comfort me." Andrea's voice was soft, hesitant.

Before she knew what was coming, Randy backhanded her across the face. "Don't fucking lie to me!" he screamed at her. "You whore! You're sleeping with him, aren't you?"

Andrea put her hand to her face in shock and pain. She moved backwards, away from Randy until her back hit the wall. "I... I'm not. Randy, please. Please don't hit me."

Randy didn't seem to have heard her. He grabbed at her wrists, pulling her hands away from her face. With his face almost touching hers, he hissed, "You had better not be having anything going on with Helmsley, Andrea. I will fucking kill you."

Andrea cowered in fear. "Randy, please... I'm not."

Randy let go of her wrists and turned to walk off. He had barely taken three steps when he suddenly turned around and slapped her. The impact of the blow was so hard that she fell to the ground, knocking over some boxes. The loud sound that ensued drew the attention of the guys in the locker room, who rushed out.

The scene they were greeted with was not at all pretty.

Andrea was sitting on the ground, tears running down her face. The force of the blow had been so hard that her cheeks were imprinted with Randy's handprint. Randy was standing over her, his chest heaving, his eyes livid. There was absolutely no mistaking, at that point, what had happened.

Hunter lunged at Randy. "You asshole! How dare you hit Andie?!" Shawn quickly grabbed Hunter and held him back.

Dave made to move over to help Andrea up but she shook her head and cowered toward the wall. She knew that accepting any form of help would result in unwanted repercussions at Randy's hands.

Randy stared at Hunter unflinchingly. "Why are you so concerned about Andrea, Helmsley?"

Hunter's face was red with anger. "I will not tolerate any guy hitting a woman! More so, a woman that I lo..."

"Hunter," Andrea quickly interjected, wiping away her tears, predicting correctly what Hunter was about to say. "It's okay. Don't."

Randy narrowed his eyes and looked at her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "Tell them, Andrea. Tell them."Andrea turned to him, her eyes fearful and pleading. Randy squeezed her arm tighter. "Tell them!"

Andrea stifled a sob and swallowed whatever pride she had left. "It's my own fault. I disobeyed Randy. I deserve to be punished. It's not Randy's fault at all."

There was complete silence as the roster stared at the Ortons, their mouths gaped in shock.

Hunter broke the silence. "Andie, please, wake up! Come with me. I will help you. We will all help you. We are your friends. Please. Randy will end up killing you. Please." His heart was so heavy, his tone almost begging.

Andrea shook her head before lowering it. "No, Hunter, you don't understand. If I wasn't such a bad girl, Randy wouldn't have to discipline me. It's for my own good."

Randy looked triumphantly at them. "Are you done? If so, my wife and I would like to go home."

For the first time ever, no one could find a word to say. They were stunned into complete and absolute silence.

Randy looked at them and nodded. "Good." He slung his duffel bag over his shoulder. He pointed at Hunter. "Helmsley, stay out of our business. I'm warning you." He turned on his heel and walked off.

Andrea cast a sad and despairing look at her friends before hurrying after Randy.

Hunter turned to the rest of the roster. "What the hell is wrong with her?! Why can't she just leave him?!"

Evan shook his head. "She's too frightened to. And, unless she chooses to, there isn't anything we can do."


End file.
